Celtics Process Anfernee Simons Trade with Humanity Amid Business Realities
DALLAS - The Boston Celtics walked off the court Tuesday night with a solid 110-100 win over the Mavericks, pushing their record to 32-18. But even in victory, the mood in the locker room wasn’t typical. Something was missing - or rather, someone.
That someone was Anfernee Simons.
Just hours earlier, Simons had been traded to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for veteran big man Nikola Vucevic. And while the move makes basketball sense on paper, the human side of the deal hit home for a Celtics team that had grown close to the 24-year-old guard.
For Baylor Scheierman, the trade was personal. All season long, Simons had been his go-to seatmate on team flights. But as the Celtics boarded their plane from Dallas to Houston late Tuesday night, Scheierman found himself flying solo.
“We had a growing relationship that was really good,” Scheierman said. “He’s just a good dude.
Was a great teammate. As far as a basketball player, obviously, very talented - came in and put his work in, did things the right way, and cared about the people here.
I’m definitely sad to see him go.”
That’s the reality of early February in the NBA. The trade deadline looms, and with it comes a flurry of movement.
On Tuesday alone, 16 players were traded across the league. Five more had already switched teams earlier in the week.
It’s a whirlwind - and it’s part of the business. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla made sure to acknowledge that. According to Luka Garza, Mazzulla spoke to the players after the Simons trade, not just as a coach, but as a person who understands the emotional toll these moves can take.
“Most coaches that I’ve been around kind of pretty much avoid talking about it,” said Garza, now in his fifth NBA season. “Joe kind of said to me today - understand that we’re all humans, and it’s a business, but at the same time, he understands what we’re all going through and stuff, which meant a lot.”
For Mazzulla, it’s not just about X’s and O’s - it’s about people.
“You just have to understand that they’re more than basketball players - they’re people, they’re humans, they got families,” he said. “And the more you can just create an environment where you’re there for those guys, it helps get through a long season.”
That message resonates deeply with veterans like Xavier Tillman, who knows the emotional side of trades all too well. His kids had become close with Simons’ children, and their families often spent time together during road trips.
“That’s the hardest part for sure,” Tillman said. “The kids are building these relationships that they hope are lifelong.”
It’s not the first time Tillman’s family has had to adjust. When Jrue Holiday was traded to Portland, the Tillmans stayed connected with the Holiday family - visiting them over the summer and keeping the bond alive.
“We told Ant [Simons], this summer, we’re gonna make sure we spend some time as a family together,” Tillman said. “Because our kids really did build a really good bond, and our wives did as well - they’re part of our chosen family.”
That phrase - “chosen family” - carries weight in the NBA, where players are constantly on the move and the grind of the season can be isolating. The bonds they form with teammates and their families are often the most stable part of an unstable profession.
“You have to be close,” Tillman said of his former Memphis teammates. “Because they are the only people who actually understand what we go through on a day-to-day basis.”
Jaylen Brown, fresh off another strong performance in the win over Dallas, echoed the same sentiment. He made it clear that Simons’ impact went well beyond the box score.
“Anfernee has all the respect in the world from me - it’s a business, but there’s a human aspect to it,” Brown said. “He’s just a great, great person, great kid on and off the floor, just humble - I hope he gets everything that he’s looking for.”
Brown emphasized that Simons didn’t just show up - he bought in. He contributed to winning, embraced his role, and never let ego get in the way.
“He could have had different thoughts, and thought differently, and his energy could have been different,” Brown said. “He was a great teammate and did everything he needed to do that we asked him and more. So Anfernee has all the respect in the world from me, and I hope he gets everything he deserves.”
The business side of the NBA is well understood by players. They know the contracts.
They know the risks. But that doesn’t mean they’re immune to the emotional fallout.
“It’s like a friend that you had, that you’ve been growing a relationship with, and all of a sudden, they just picked up and left, and they didn’t want to,” Tillman said. “It’s that kind of vibe.”
That emotional maturity is something Scheierman is already embracing in just his second NBA season. His mindset heading into the trade deadline is one shared by many around the league.
“You can only control what you can control,” he said before tip-off in Dallas. “You can’t really focus on that.
It’s outside of our control. And so we come and then get ready to play and put our best effort out there.”
And that’s exactly what the Celtics did - putting together a complete team win against one of the West’s top squads. But even in the glow of victory, the echoes of the day’s trade lingered.
“They always talk about it being a business,” Tillman said. “But you build relationships with people, and you grow to really care about them and their families. And it’s always tough to see your friends get separated from you.”
In the end, the Celtics gained a veteran presence in Nikola Vucevic - a player who can help them in their playoff push. But they also lost a teammate, a friend, and for many, a part of their extended basketball family. That’s the duality of the NBA trade deadline - where roster moves are made with cold logic, but felt with full hearts.